1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to editing script associated with video sequences, and to an editing system for editing such scripts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to produce a sequence of video clips by editing source material. The sequence may for example comprise several clips assembled in an order which illustrates a news story. The news story is set out in a script which accompanies the sequence.
The sequence is required to be of a desired duration and the script is required to match the sequence, scenes within the video sequence being matched with sections of the script.
Usually the sequence of the video clips is assembled first. Then the script is written, to match the video sequence.
For a section of the script to match a corresponding section of the video sequence, the duration of the section of the video sequence and the rate of reading of the words of the script has to be taken into account. A draft script may need several adjustments in order to match it to the video sequence.
It is thus desirable to indicate to a script writer how the script matches the video sequence.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an editing system for associating text with a video sequence the frames of which have time codes associated therewith, the system comprising
means for simultaneously displaying a sequence of video frames and for displaying a sequence of text associated with the sequence of video frames,
a video store for storing the sequence of frames to be displayed and the associated time codes (VC)
a text store for storing the sequence of associated text and time codes associated with the text,
means for defining time codes (TC) in the text, the time codes in the text corresponding to time codes in the video sequence and indicating sections of the text,
which are associated with corresponding sections of the video sequence,
means for defining a rate (n) of reading of the words of text, and
means for indicating on the display the extent of the text which matches the associated section of the video sequence in dependence upon the time codes immediately preceding (TCx) and succeeding (Tcx+1) that section of text and upon the said rate n of reading.
The script writer may provide more text than can be matched to a section of the video sequence. It is desirable to allow the script writer to view the whole text associated with a video sequence and to view how alterations to it match with the section of the video sequence.
Thus, in an embodiment of the present invention, when the said section of text associated with the video section has an extent greater than that which matches the video section, the indicating means is arranged to distinguish on the display the portion of that text in excess of that which matches the video section, from the portion which matches the video section.